Le Clerc - Geometria Pratica - 1774

Le Clerc – Practical Geometry – Venice, 1784 – Volume Two – 248 pages – geometric plates – complete

Description

Interesting eighteenth-century treatise on practical geometry, embellished with numerous figures and engraved geometric plates, published in Venice in 1784.

The title page reads:

“Geometria Pratica del Signor Le Clerc; per uso della studiosa Gioventù, e ogni genere di persone. Traduzione dal Francese. Adorna di bellissime figure in rame. Tomo Secondo.”

Venice, MDCCLXXXIV (1784), at Leonardo and Giammaria Fratelli Bassaglia, with the proper Licences and Privilege.

The work, translated from French, is conceived as a practical and didactic manual of geometry and addresses numerous topics, as also shown by the table of chapters: definitions and fundamental notions, practice of lines and angles, transformation of planes, division of planes, measurement, trigonometry, triangles, solids and their measurement, as well as practical applications of geometric instruments.

Of particular interest is the iconographic apparatus. The volume is accompanied by numerous plates with geometric figures, some folded, containing a large number of finely engraved diagrams: circles, polygons, triangles, geometric constructions, subdivisions, scales of measure, solids and representations related to applied geometry. The photographs show both full-page plates and wider folded plates, still preserved inside the volume.

The text ends on page 248, where it is clearly legible “Fine del Secondo, ed ultimo Tomo.” The copy offered is complete with all 248 pages.

The binding is antique, in light parchment, with a smooth spine and a small tag/upper frame bearing printed indications. The parchment presents the typical patina acquired over more than two centuries, giving the volume a particularly authentic appearance.

Condition

Overall in good condition given the age. The binding shows natural signs of use, stains, small darkening, abrasions and color variations. There are visible slight deformations and irregularities of the parchment, common features in ancient bindings of this material.

The interiors show browning, foxing, halos and some stains, more evident on certain papers, but the text and figures remain generally legible. Normal irregularities and marginal signs due to age are also observed. The large folded plates show the original folds and natural signs of use, but preserve very well the rich apparatus of geometric diagrams.

Complete volume: 248 pages.

An especially interesting work for collectors of ancient scientific books, mathematics, geometry, the history of didactics and eighteenth-century scientific engravings. The numerous geometric plates, together with the parchment binding and the Venetian printing of the eighteenth century, constitute the elements of greatest interest of the specimen.

Photographs are an integral part of the description, and it is recommended to examine them closely for a direct assessment of the conservation status, binding, papers and illustrated plates.

Note: description prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems based on the information provided and the examination of the photographs.